Downing Street Says » National Security Committee

The Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) began by saying that this was the first time the National Security Committee (NSC) would meet. The Prime Minister announced the establishment of this committee as part of the constitutional reform package on the 3rd July. The Prime Minister would chair the meeting, and members would include the Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Hazel Blears, Alistair Darling, Jack Straw, Ed Balls, Tony McNulty, Admiral West, as well as relevant representatives from the police and security services. The Prime Minister had said that from now on the Government would regularly publish our national security strategy for parliamentary debate and public scrutiny, setting out for the British people the threats we faced and the objectives we were pursuing. The long term and continuing security obligation upon us required us to coordinate military, policing, intelligence, and diplomatic action, as well as winning hearts and minds in this country and around the world. These were the kinds of issues that the NSC would be discussing. The Committee would oversee this strategy, and was charged with bringing together our overseas defence and security, but also our development and community relations effort as well.

Asked whether the NSC would be receiving report from the intelligence services, or was this just a functioning committee of the Cabinet, the PMS replied that there would be representatives from the police and the security services. Its role was to oversee the National Security Strategy, and to bring together all of the relevant bits of Government, but in a much broader way than existing Cabinet committees had done. It would discuss in a comprehensive way issues relating to defence, counter terrorism, and also in relation to hearts and minds.

Asked if they would have Admiral West’s interim report in front of them, the PMS replied that he did not want to get into a discussion of what specifically was on the agenda.

Asked about the possible threat posed by materials in hospitals, the PMS replied that Admiral West was looking at security issues relating to health, and the screening of healthcare workers in particular.

Asked if the NSC would replace the Joint Intelligence Committee, the PMS replied that this was not the case. The Joint Intelligence Committee was separate.

Asked if there would be any military representatives there, the PMS replied that there would certainly be representatives from the Ministry of Defence.

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» Thursday, July 12, 2007

National Security Committee

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